John Hodgman News

Building on the momentum of a powerful series of fall kick-off events, the Chicago Humanities Festival is excited to announce the full lineup for its 30th Fall Festival. Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, author Jonathan Safran Foer, historian Ibram X. Kendi, comedian and The New York Times Magazine's a?oejudgea?? John Hodgman, poet Nikki Giovanni, Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will all be part of CHF's endeavor to explore Power this fall. Returning Festival favorites including poet and musician Patti Smith, novelist Salman Rushdie, and historian Sarah Vowell will return to Chicago this fall. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is this year's Chicago Tribune Literary Prize recipient.

Lecy Goranson will host a star-studded gala, celebrating this year's achievements of the Obie-Award winning theater ensemble, Elevator Repair Service. Under the direction of founding Artistic Director John Collins, ERS has been making original theater for 27 years. They have achieved national and international recognition with their extensive body of work, in particular the award-winning Gatz, a verbatim staging of The Great Gatsby, which enjoyed four engagements this season, from Abu Dhabi to Perth to New York City. The New York Times called Gatz The most remarkable achievement in theater not only of this year but also of this decade (which, gee, means this century too). For more information visit elevator.org.

The second season of the hit superhero series The Tick, created by Ben Edlund and staring Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman, will premiere globally Friday, April 5th on Amazon Prime Video.

Comedian/actor Jon Glaser is back with a new season of his hybrid scripted comedy series Jon Glaser Loves Gear, premiering tonight at 10:30PM ET/PT on truTV. In Season 2 of Jon Glaser Loves Gear, will Jon's ridiculously intense passion for gear derail his television show, his friendships and relationships with both his real and fake families? Or will Jon be able to summon the strength to find the emotional gear he needs to get through it all? Joining the cast in the 10-episode sophomore season are Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”) and guest star Christine Taylor (“Search Party”). Jon Glaser Loves Gear stars Glaser, Steve Cirbus, John Hodgman, Eva Solveig and Miriam Tolan.  Catch up on Season 1 on truTV.com, the truTV app and Video on Demand.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces even more additions to the lineup for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27.  The 17-day festival features over 200 shows with  major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming comedians from around the world performing in venues across the city bringing non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more. Tickets for all shows now on sale at sfsketchfest.com.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces additions to the lineup for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27, 2019.  The 17-day festival of more than 200 shows features major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming comedians from around the world performing in venues across the city bringing non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more. Tickets for all previously announced shows now on sale at sfsketchfest.com. Round Two shows go on sale this Friday at 10am PT / 1pm ET at sfsketchfest.com.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces the initial line up for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27, 2019, featuring top comedic talent performing in venues across the city. Audiences can expect another outstanding year of programming and fun as SF Sketchfest will host major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming acts from around the world for non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more.

SF Sketchfest presented by Audible announces the initial line up for the 18th annual San Francisco Comedy Festival January 10-27, 2019, featuring top comedic talent performing in venues across the city. Audiences can expect another outstanding year of programming and fun as SF Sketchfest will host major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming acts from around the world for non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more.

Boxcar Theatre and SF Sketchfest today announced the lineup for SF SKETCHFEST AT THE SPEAKEASY: An Immersive Comedy Experience. For this special set of six shows within the nationally recognized festival, headliners include Michael Ian Black with Tom Kenny, the Hi-Seas and Ryan Stout; David Cross; Janeane Garofalo with Jen Kirkman and Sabrina Jalee; Dana Gould with Blaine Capatch, Caitlin Gill & more; John Hodgman and Paul F. Tompkins; and "Improv All-Stars" featuring Second City alumni Scott Adsit (30 Rock) and Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer).

In Season 2 of Jon Glaser Loves Gear, will Jon's ridiculously intense passion for gear derail his television show, his friendships and relationships with both his real and fake families? Or will Jon be able to summon the strength to find the emotional gear he needs to get through it all? Find out this season on truTV, where the only thing you have to gear is... gear itself.

Live from Here with Chris Thile confirms the guest lineup for the next five shows, which feature special performances from Jeff Tweedy, Cat Power, Jon Batiste, Dirty Projectors,Vulfpeck, Gabriel Kahane, War & Treaty, Anna & Elizabeth, Negin Farsad, Todd Barry and The Sklar Brothers.

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of the Emmy Award-nominated series 'DuckTales' prior to its season two premiere SATURDAY, OCT. 20 (7:30 a.m., EDT/PDT), on Disney Channel, DisneyNOW and Disney Channel VOD. The series stars David Tennant ('Doctor Who') as Scrooge McDuck, Danny Pudi ('Community') as Huey, Ben Schwartz ('Parks and Recreation') as Dewey, Bobby Moynihan ('Saturday Night Live') as Louie, Kate Micucci ('Garfunkel and Oates') as Webby Vanderquack, Beck Bennett ('Saturday Night Live') as Launchpad McQuack, Toks Olagundoye ('Castle') as Mrs. Beakley and Disney Legend Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck.

Taming of the Shrew closed last weekend but Madison Shakespeare's busy schedule is just beginning, with three unusual destinations ahead.

Taming of the Shrew closed last weekend but Madison Shakespeare's busy schedule is just beginning, with three unusual destinations ahead.

The award winning storytelling show and podcast RISK! is coming this summer in book form with a book tour and live shows across the U.S. to follow. RISK!: True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare To Share features the most celebrated stories from the hit podcast and live show plus some all-new true tales about explosive secrets and off-the-wall adventures we experience in life but rarely talk about. It's a diverse collection of uncensored, confessional, and at times outrageously funny personal stories from RISK! creator Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Marc Maron, Aisha Tyler, Dan Savage, Lili Taylor and many more. Of the book, John Hodgman says, “These stories will move you to get outside and share your wildest truths”. RISK!: True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare To Share will be released July 17 (Hachette). Pre-orders available HERE

The award winning storytelling show and podcast RISK! is coming this summer in book form with a book tour and live shows across the U.S. to follow. RISK!: True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare To Share features the most celebrated stories from the hit podcast and live show plus some all-new true tales about explosive secrets and off-the-wall adventures we experience in life but rarely talk about. It's a diverse collection of uncensored, confessional, and at times outrageously funny personal stories from RISK! creator Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Marc Maron, Aisha Tyler, Dan Savage, Lili Taylor and many more. Of the book, John Hodgman says, “These stories will move you to get outside and share your wildest truths”. RISK!: True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare To Share will be released July 17 (Hachette). Pre-orders available HERE

Red Baraat will release their new LP, Sound The People this Friday,June 29 via Rhyme & Reason. The album is now streaming via Brooklyn Vegan - downloads of Sound The People are available upon request.

On Today, May 31, Writers in the Loft hosts New York Times bestselling author and comedic actor John Hodgman. The New-England-native-turned-New-Yorker and former "fake news" practitioner on The Daily Show will discuss VACATIONLAND: True Stories from Painful Beaches, his latest work about his real-life, all true wanderings through New England.  Beyond mere comedy, the book is a poignant and honest account of one human facing his forties, "those years when men in particular must stop pretending to be the children of bright potential they were and settle into the failing bodies of the wiser, weird dads that they are," says Hodgman. The book and Hodgman's approach to life and comedy have been heralded by fellow authors Elizabeth Gilbert, George R. R. Martin, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, and Maria Semple, among others.

Red Baraat will be releasing a new album, Sound The People on June 29 via Rhyme & Reason. Today they share the LP's title track which features vox by Heems (Das Racist). The single premiered via Stereogum who note, 'like always, Red Baraat delivers an explosion of sound...(and 'Sound The People') is a politically soaked display of energy.' The band's Sunny Jain told them, 'Heems and I met several years when he was still doing Das Racist. When Red Baraat started working on the new album, there were various ideas I had about South Asian diaspora, migration and Trump's disconcerting victory, but it hadn't all been tied together just yet. I shared all this with Heems and also sent him a couple of songs I had composed specifically thinking about his flow. The band was tracking for a few days at Studio G in Brooklyn and I asked Heems to come in and lay down a rap. He turned up in the studio and did his thing and that's when we all realized, 'Holy crap! This is the title track!' He pulled the whole album concept together with those words.' Read the full write-up here. Jain further notes, 'When we were hearing Heems deliver those lyrics we knew what our hook needed to be and Little Shalimar (Run The Jewels) helped bring the whole song together in post production'

On Thursday, May 31, Writers in the Loft hosts New York Times bestselling author and comedic actor John Hodgman. The New-England-native-turned-New-Yorker and former "fake news" practitioner on The Daily Show will discuss VACATIONLAND: True Stories from Painful Beaches, his latest work about his real-life, all true wanderings through New England.  Beyond mere comedy, the book is a poignant and honest account of one human facing his forties, "those years when men in particular must stop pretending to be the children of bright potential they were and settle into the failing bodies of the wiser, weird dads that they are," says Hodgman. The book and Hodgman's approach to life and comedy have been heralded by fellow authors Elizabeth Gilbert, George R. R. Martin, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, and Maria Semple, among others.